Share with Intel how you juggle modern family life - £300 Argos voucher to be won!

[EllieMumsnet]

A big part of being a parent is being flexible and spinning several plates at the same time... there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do every task individually! Have you always been someone who can juggle multiple things at once or has parenting taught you the art of being flexible, Intel® would love to hear your best multi-tasking moments, as well as any tips and tricks for managing modern family life.

Here’s what Intel® have to say: “A thin and light Modern PC with an Intel® processor has great features that make it more flexible to use, so you can be more creative, productive and entertained. Cortana lets you use your voice instead of the keyboard and Windows Hello* lets you log in with your face not a password – perfect for when you already have your hands full with the children.”

Did you manage to book a holiday while you fed and bathed your children? Perhaps you helped one child with homework while breastfeeding your baby, being on Skype to your mum and eating your dinner all at the same time?

Whatever your tips or your best multi-tasking moment, share it on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher from Argos.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

* Cortana available in select markets; experience may vary by region and device.
** Requires specialized hardware, including fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors and capable devices.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

I list everything and work my way through it each day for the next day, i do try to be as organised as possible but when life tends to through the unplanned at you, like most days, i end up re scheduling the less important things. Lets face it, we are only human and all doing the best we can. I think sometimes the easiest thing to do is cancel everything and take the pressure off.

Family life for me is now juggling older kids while looking after my Mum who has dementia. Multi-tasking consists of me telling them to shove something in the microwave, while I get on with seeing to Mum.

Pre-planning is essential if you have a lot of things building up. And share the jobs aroung. Little ones can help with dusting and tidying if you make it into a game.

I tend to manage it most days, not quite sure how sometimes so I don't really have any great tips to offer

writing everything down, online shops, google family calendars, emails

Working together, tag team style, we go at it as one, head first!

Online food shopping and cooking and prepping meals in advance. Instead of cooking one batch of spag bol, I'll cook two and freeze one. Generally takes the same amount of time to cook two in one pan, but reduces the cooking for the following week, especially if it's a busy one.

I'm juggling a uni course, a job, being a parent and also supporting DP while he starts his new business AND running a household. (Poorly).

I have no idea how I do it to be honest.

Can't say it enough but shopping online! It really does have it's advantages, it makes me meal plan and buy only the stuff I need which gives me the added bonus of feeling organised for the week.

Investing time in a bit of organisation has paid dividends for me. A basic online shopping list. Spreadsheets for planning school holiday (childcare plans, outings etc). Spreadsheet packing lists for holidays. A daily task list on the fridge -dishwasher, wash towels, steam mop kitchen etc. Visitors roll their eyes when they see my list, but I don't care because they keep all members of the family on track.

I have 3 girls so multitasking is the norm here! Usually paying bills/making phone calls while feeding the baby.

Delegation and bribery.

keep an up to date diary

Whilst breast feeding, I used to mark my student's essays!

I think its important that both parents play an equally active role in chores and looking after the children. It is no longer solely on the mother to cook, clean and do housework, and no longer solely on the man to provide for the family. You need to share everything out equally so nobody gets overwhelmed.

I take my iPad and iPhone everywhere with me and do online shopping whilst waiting for the kids to come out of school, watch catchup tv whilst cooking tea essential As I don’t have time once tea is done and kids have to be bathed I do put on a story on the iPad and it reads to my kids whilst I get on with the cleaning, could not cope without modern technology makes multi tasking easier

Shopping online and take vitamin supps to keep my energy up

Evenings are the busiest for me so whilst I had a chicken in the oven (for next days sandwiches), I was filling in next weeks rotas for work, then feeding my DS his puree for dinner, and was speaking to Alexa for my on-line shop which I have delivered every Friday evening.

However I feel I always make time for my daughter, sadly these years will be over sooner than you think as they seem to grow up so fast so enjoy these times.

I have three young girls (4, 2 and 10months old) and planning is key! Technology plays a bit part in helping me be organised by giving me the tools to plan our lives easily and effectively. My family and I, including grandparents, aunts and uncles, have a shared calendar, use wish lists for birthdays, have Facebook messenger chat groups for sharing pictures and catching up. I'm able to link my work calendar to my personal one, on my phone, so I can keep up when out and about. I use alarms on my phone to remind me of admin I might forget... and the newer technology allowing me to turn my kitchen appliances on and off... amazing!

And because all of that makes my life easier, I have more time to dress up, read books, and make the funny faces my baby loves

Organisation. I batch cook and freeze at the weekend and everyone Chios in with chores. We use a family diary to keep track of things. But I think it helps to know not everything has to be planned. It's great just to have free time and unplanned days. Xx

Badly! Both DH and I switched career when the DCs were little and now run a business from home. We were both teachers and I just couldn't juggle everything without feeling I was letting everyone down. I couldn't switch off or let go. Although I miss teaching and went into it expecting it to be a lifelong career, for me it just wasn't working once I was a parent. Our work life balance is much better now which benefits us all. I went to every school event and I'm always at home when they come in from school, which is perfect for me.

Agree with online food shopping. I also make a lot of lists for everything and try to sort out any school stuff (trips/singing forms/dinner money) as soon as I get the letter instead of putting it down and forgetting about it

I have a big calendar that I put everything on in order to stay organised. Also, I shop online so don't have to do the dreaded weekly shop at the supermarket. To stay focused and stress-free I have a mindfulness app.

I am a single parent to 2 boys and work full time. I have had no choice but to have a 'no messing' attitude. I do everything fast.

I can be showered and have myself presentable (well more accurately full make up and hair straightened - or even waved!) with the boys ready for school in 35 minutes. I can multitask like a goodun - revising with kids and doing my own work at the same time has been the story of recent evenings for the last month or so. I can obviously cook dinner - most often not your oven chips kinda meal although they do exist too - and simultaneously pay all the bills, do the online shop and organise a social event.

Of course I have breastfed and done a conference call, but that was so many years ago my skills have adapted to more relevant multi-tasks. Stirring dinner while applying for a mortgage? Of course. Mowing the grass in the time in takes to roast the potatoes? Exact timings required. Empty the dishwasher in the time it takes to boil the kettle? Nailed it.

I use traffic dodging apps to get everywhere, even if I save 10 minutes that is worth it as every second is accounted for.

In saying this, I make sure I do everything quick so I can spend quality time with my boys. We have dinner every night together and sit and chat about everything and nothing for at least an hour. And that's my favourite part of the day.